Binkley’s Kitchen & Bar
5902 N. College Avenue
Indianapolis, IN  46220
http://www.binkleyskitchenandbar.com

Tenderloin of the Month is quickly becoming my favorite segment.  Why?    I get to eat at least one tenderloin a month.   I ate one about every four or five months previously, so I am looking forward to having a fixed menu item in this fun experiment.  Last month, IndianapolisEater tried out the tenderloin at Broad Ripple Tavern.  So, I tried out Binkley’s, which is another LUX restaurant.

Binkley’s is a cool joint.  It was crazy crowded on a Friday night, so I assumed that the food had hope.  The service was slow throughout the meal, a real bummer for sure when you have a 14 month old.  I saw a tenderloin on the menu and realized that we are running out of time for September, so I had to try it.

What I Ate:  Breaded Tenderloin; $8.99.  Served with Cole Slaw.

The good news was that  it was not a breaded pork fritter.  I liked the thickness of the tenderloin as it was not too thin and and not too dry.  It was just right actually.  However, I found it to be a good amount smaller than a lot of its competitors.  The breading was crisp, the pork was juicy and all in all, I thought that it had a nice taste until…(insert cliffhanger music)…the bun was gross.   Flour dusted yuppie bun.  It wasn’t grilled either, just straight out of the bag.  This ruined the sandwich.

Would I Buy It Again?   No.  The tenderloin was a little on the small size, however the bun ruined it.  Notice at their other restaurant, they serve a sesame seed bun.  I really can’t rag on it too much because if they get a new bun, they would be back on track.  I have had much worse.

Btw, the remainder of the food at Binkley’s was pretty bad.  Hummus tasted like a romesco sauce and my wife’s pasta (a special) was pretty awful.  Watery sauce for $16.  First, it was too expensive and second, it was just plain bad.   I am not sure if I would return to Binkley’s, unless it was for a few drinks.

-wibia

I was excited to hear that Man v. Food was coming to Indy.  I have watched every show since the show started and I would easily say that I am a fan.  However, they really dropped the ball on Indy…or should I say crashed and burned since they tried to reference the race…at every turn.  Let’s take a close look at every segment.

Edwards Drive-In
I have been there pre-blog and there is a reason why I haven’t returned.  Let’s reference this post by our dear friend The Tenderloin Connoisseur.

He gave the tenderloin a 3/5 and said that he wouldn’t drive across town for it.  Just like every review on his site, I agree 100%.  Also, why would they freeze a fresh cut tenderloin?  The term “Frozen Pork Fritter” is a dirty word in these parts and it’s almost as bad as “Kelvin Sampson.”

With that being said, WouldIBuyItAgain.com will promise to review or make a segment called “Tenderloin of the Month” from here on out.  I would like to restore some confidence back in our state sandwich.

[Editor's Note:  We will run our first Tenderloin of the Month review on Monday.]

Grays Brothers Cafeteria
Here is my review.

I understand the story of telling about a down-home-cafeteria-style-middle-America-meal, etc. (good idea).  However…MEATLOAF?  We are now known for f’ing meatloaf?!?!

Not to mention, if you are going to be on TV mixing meat, wear gloves!  The strawberry pie was lame too…strawberries with…a strawberry glaze and homemade whipped cream.  One guy on the show said that he drove twenty miles for the pies…really?!  So you are telling me that you can’t make that pie?!  Trust me, it is easy as…pie!!

Bub’s Burgers & Ice Cream
Here is my review.

For two years, I literally lived one hundred yards from Bub’s…and I went there ONLY four times.  In one of those times, both IndianapolisEater and I easily conquered The Big Ugly (one burger each).  Despite that, I am not going to really rip on this choice.  There are very few eating challenges in this city and The Big Ugly is the king.  Bub’s gets a good amount of hype and is in the perfect location.

However, I am disappointed in Adam’s effort. The burger patty is 22 ounces pre-cooked, he completed 2.25 burgers.  That is three pounds of meat and maybe and extra pound of toppings and bread.  LAME!!!  This is coming from a guy that has ate a four pound milk shake (in addition to a large sandwich with it) and consistently eats five pounds plus.  To me, this is him just not giving a shit and wanting to get out of town.  I have never seen him perform so poorly at a challenge.

Therefore, I am starting a challenge to the beloved WIBIA army. Eat more than Adam at Bub’s…and you will get your picture on the blog and a special Hall of Fame section solely for you.

In a weird way, I am disappointed in Man v. Food.  It was a poor attempt to showcase this city.  Honestly, I think Kendra “Having a Baby” showcased the city better than Man v. food.

Next week, I’ll show you a review of another place that Man v. Food visited that Adam was reallly excited about (Phoenix episode).   I have been to five Man v. Food restaurants and I’ve liked only one of them quite a bit (Ike’s Place in San Francisco).  

All in all, I know that I am playing arm chair quarterback here (race theme = back seat driver), but there was a better story to tell about the city.  How about the Tenderloin at Big Daddy’s (S. Meridian), Shrimp Cocktail at St. Elmo’s (spicy tradition) and then wrap it up with Bub’s? 

Rant over.

-wibia

BK loves Indy as a test market.  We were the first for the BK Ribs and now, the Country Pork Sandwich.

I couldn’t believe when I read from Burger Business that BK was putting out a pork tenderloin sandwich.  It brought tears to my eyes to even think of them bastardizing my beloved state sandwich.

There are two varieties, the deluxe and regular.  The regular has ketchup, mustard, onions and pickles $4.29.  It looks like the deluxe adds lettuce and tomato for a few cents more $4.59.  I tried them both at different times.

The Deluxe:

My first impression was…ahh…a frozen pork fritter.  I didn’t realize that it had ketchup and onion and I would hold that the next time.  At first bite, I had to admit that I was pleasantly surprised.  I couldn’t find any gristle throughout the sandwich and the produce was above the majority of fast food.  The meat was processed to be a little thinner than my preference, but it wasn’t off-putting.  I accidentally deleted the pic.

Regular:

This was pretty bad.  As you can see, they forgot my onion.   Even if it had onion, I missed the lettuce and tomato and it really showed of the quality or the pork fritter and for some reason, it seemed to be quite compromised from the first one.  The breading caked up (not sure if that is a word) on top of the sandwich.  After eating this, I confirmed that I do not like ketchup on a tenderloin.

Overall, my expectations were set pretty low and the Deluxe exceeded them. I’ve had worse tenderloins at the state fair and other restaurants for t more money.  So, kind of a backhanded congrats to Burger King…it was better than I thought it would be, but that is not saying much.

The size and weight of the sandwich was pretty substantial.  I have a big appetite and I was very satisfied after eating it.  However, I was pretty thirsty the rest of the day and as you can tell by the nutrition facts below, there is quite a bit of salt in it.  In fact, it is about a day and a half’s worth.

Would I Buy It Again? No, but there are some positives.

Positives:
*Big sandwich for when you are hungry.
*The deluxe is an above average version of a fast food tenderloin sandwich.

Negatives:

*Still a frozen pork fritter and completely lame compared to the real deal.
*For a fast food sandwich, kind of pricey at $4.59

Nutritional Info: Calories – 1040 Fat – 48g Sodium – 3310mg.

-wibia

The dollar is used for size comparison only.

Goldmine Tenderloin Sandwich

The Goldmine Restaurant
7628 Southeastern Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46239
317-862-0352

The Goldmine is located on the Southeast side near Wanamaker in Franklin Township.  I’ve driven by this location many times and had never stopped in until recently.  A new ownership group took over during the summer and after some renovation, including a new outdoor patio, re-opened with aggressive daily specials, cheap beer and an emphasis on food.  A brief chat with one of the owners during a lunch visit let me know that most of the food is scratch-made in-house with many of the Italian dishes made using family recipes.

What I Had: The owner suggested an order of the Sausage Pie, made using a recipe from his grandmother and touted the hand-cut pork tenderloin as the “Best in the State.”   That sounded like a challenge to me, so in went my order.

The Sausage Pie arrived quickly and it was a surprise, finely ground sweet Italian sausage with a good hit of fennel bound with three different cheeses (I’m guessing mozzarella, parmesan and maybe Asiago) and a little bit of salami.  The revelation was the crust.  I’ve had this before at other places and the crust was heavy and bread-like.  At the Goldmine the crust was more pastry-like, flaky and buttery.  Delicious.   Accompanied by a house made marinara for dipping, we were off to a very good start.

The tenderloin sandwich can be ordered breaded or grilled in the tradition preparation or “Italian.”  I was curious what an “Italian” tenderloin sandwich would be, so that’s what I ordered.  The sandwich arrived with probably two- thirds of it hanging off the plate.  This thing was big.  The breading was comprised of panko breadcrumbs with specks of basil, oregano and parsley clearly visible.  Hot as volcanic lava, I actually cut the slab into thirds and piled it on the bun in order to make it manageable.  Deep fried nicely, the meat was cooked through while still tender and juicy and the “Italian” season actually added a pleasant change of pace to the ubiquitous Hoosier Tenderloin sandwich.

Would I Buy It Again?  YES!  At just $7.95 for the sandwich, including my $1.00 up-grade to seasoned fries instead of chips, and $4.99 for the half-order of Sausage Pie, not only was this a delicious lunch, but also one that I would consider a good deal.  A warning:  on a subsequent visit my sister-in-law ordered the same sandwich and it arrived covered with marinara and mozzarella.  There is no mention of the marinara and mozzarella on the menu but our server said that was the standard.  Weird.  So just ask the server when you order to be sure what you are getting.

-Smokin’ DB

Credit to Robby Virus @flickr.com

Syd’s Bar & Grill
808 Logan Street
Noblesville, Indiana  46060

I used to go to Syd’s a lot for in high school when our school had an open campus for lunch, so I’ve been there many times before.  It’s an OLD bar on the square in downtown Noblesville and let’s just say that it has a lot of “charm” (check out the old-fashioned sign!).  When you walk up to the building (especially if you are coming up from the parking lot behind the building), you can smell the grease from the deep fried goodness that this place has been making since what seems like the beginning of time.

I’ve only been a few times in the 12+ years since then and since I was back for my first trip in quite a few years recently, I figured that I’d go with one of my two old standby orders (the Steak Sandwich was the other).  Not to steal any thunder from the Tenderloin Connoisseur, but I figured I would review his bread and butter…

What I Got:  Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich served with chips $6.95.

Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

When you look at the picture, your first thought is probably “WOW, that thing is huge” and if that is what you were thinking, then you would be correct.  Like a true Indiana tenderloin, this one took up most of the plate.  What differed about Syd’s is that they at least attempted to serve it on a toasted bun that it is somewhat larger than the buns that you usually find served with a breaded tenderloin sandwich.

As for the actual tenderloin patty, it was breaded with a nice crispy crust and pounded very thin.  I usually prefer my tenderloins to a little thicker, but in this instance, I was okay with it being pounded out so thin.  It was perfectly fried and still very juicy on the inside.  I’ve been to Syd’s before where they’ve fried it too long and dried out the piece of meat, but this one was absolutely perfect as it was a perfect mix of juicy meat and crunchy breading.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes, I definitely would. I’ve bought it countless times before and I will continue to buy it next time I go to Syd’s.  Because of its size, it was EXTREMELY filling (I had to stand up for a while after this one because it made me uncomfortable to sit because I was so full) and with a cost of only $6.95, you are getting an extremely great value.

So, if you are ever in the neighborhood of downtown Noblesville, give this one a shot (FYI, it’s very smoky in there).  If you don’t want a tenderloin, I would recommend (based on my prior experiences) the Steak Sandwich or the fried pickles.  I know fried pickles seem odd, but something about Syd’s fried pickles make them oddly addicting.

-IndianapolisEater

Eddy’s Sports Pub
14160 Mundy Drive
Noblesville, IN
http://www.eddyssportspub.com/index.html

The first two days of the NCAA tournament are two of my favorite days of the year and being such, I usually spend my time in a sports bar enjoying the basketball and camaraderie.  This year, I chose Eddy’s Sports Pub and ended up having two different meals.

What I Ate: Breaded Tenderloin sandwich ($6.95) with kettle chips & “The Wacki” sandwich with kettle chips. ($6.95 as well)

I’ve always been a HUGE fan of breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches. A tenderloin done right the Indiana way (oversized; it’s the state sandwich…seriously) is a great meal.  This one was breaded perfectly and it was juicy. The breading was done by hand (always a very big plus) and was fried to a golden brown crispness.  It came with the usual toppings (tomato, onion, lettuce, mayo, pickle).  This was a great sandwich and it didn’t disappoint.

The Wacki is a fat man’s (or drunk person’s) delight.  It’s a thick, perfectly cooked sausage patty with pepperoni on top and then the melted mozzarella slathered all over both and then covered with marinara sauce. It was served on the slightly oversized and toasted hamburger bun and I slathered it with the side of marinara sauce.  The whole burger was definitely on the greasy side, but if you are going to eat some unhealthy comfort food, this really is a great option.

Would I But It Again?  Yes to both. The tenderloin filled all the requirements that I would have in that particular kind of sandwich and The Wacki was exactly the right sandwich at exactly the right time.  Neither sandwich is going to make you look good in a bathing suit, but you do have to cheat from time to time or else life gets miserable.

-IndianapolisEater